This Thing of Ours
by j'adore macabre
Summary: David/Dwayne slash. The night Laddie became a vampire.


There was something beautiful about a corpse. Dwayne never knew what drew such a keen fascination with studying the poses of his victims. Perhaps it was because he himself was dead yet could never look that way. He loved their contorted limbs, the frozen expression of horror written on their faces, their mouths forever open in a silent scream. It was their eyes that he loved the most. Dwayne loved the way they always managed to look up when they died, their eyes wide and dismayed. And it was the children he loved most. Their innocence was intoxicating.

There was something different about this child though that struck a chord in the place where his heart used to beat. It was a boy of no more than ten with light brown hair that fell into his eyes. He did not fight or scream and when it was over his eyes were half-mast, uncaring as he stared heavenward.

Dwayne licked the blood from his lips as he kneeled beside the boy. The vampire brushed the hair away from the young boy's eyes, his own flashing with interest as he saw a flicker of life still left. The boy's eyes opened a fraction more and stared up at Dwayne with an unusual amount of callousness. There was almost no innocence in this one. He was nearly undead himself.

The vampire looked up towards the end of the alleyway where David stood waiting patiently, leaning against the sordid brick wall with a cigarette hanging from between his lips. The blond turned his head slightly to give his friend a sidelong glance. The end of the cigarette glowed as he took in a long drag.

"I want him." Dwayne said quietly. His hand lingered on his victim's cheek to feel the warmth that was fading fast.

David pushed himself off the wall and stared at the other vampire. In all their years together, before the promise of immortality and the Change, Dwayne had never asked for anything. He was always a solid yet silent presence at David's side. How could he refuse?

"He's a child." David spoke softly, uncertain about the enormity of the decision. "Why this one?"

Dwayne paused a moment and looked down at the young boy and, with brotherly affection, smoothed back the mussed hair. "Will you let me have him?"

"Get a dog if you're so keen on a pet." David responded hotly. Anger flared in his chest as a thought occurred to him that he was not enough for Dwayne anymore.

"No." The other vampire replied. "I don't want a pet. Just him."

David turned so his back was to the other, he could feel the boy's life fading to the point where soon there would be no saving him. He did not care. He wanted Dwayne's affection and his alone. Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped gently around his waist and soft lips pressed against his neck.

"You have me." Dwayne whispered in his ear. It was as though he read his thoughts. "All of me."

"Even if you have him?" David asked, the corners of his mouth turning down in a slight frown.

The brunet took the cigarette from the other's mouth and dug the burning end into his palm until it no longer smoked. "Even if have him. I love him differently."

"You love him all the same." David replied hotly.

"The way you love Marko? That's why you turned him, isn't it? I see it in your eyes. You love him like a true brother. You need him in a way that I can't give."

"What about Paul? Max made him for you. He can be your brother. Why can't that be enough for you?"

Dwayne let out a heavy sigh. The boy would not last another minute. The life was flickering in and out and knew that was what David wanted. The brunet pulled away from the other. "It's not the same. I love Paul but not with the depth that you love Marko. If you don't want me to turn the boy then fine. I've always done what you've wanted."

Those last words were like a slap to David. He touched the spot on his waist where Dwayne's hand had rested. "Hurry before he dies."

A feather light kiss touched David's cheek immediately followed by a gust of wind. He turned to see Dwayne get on his knees beside the boy's prone form, fangs cutting into his own wrist and let the blood fall between the boy's parted lips. The scent of Dwayne's blood was intoxicating but David could only feel a melancholy settle over him.

The boy's eyelids flutter after a moment and he weakly sat up as he licked blood from his lip. He kneeled to face Dwayne, his eyes studying the vampire's contorted facial feature with a calculating gaze. The vampire easily dodged the tiny fist that tried connecting with his face.

"You hurt me." The boy gave a small growl of anger even as he sat back and panted with exhaustion.

"Only so I could make you better. I made you like me. You'll never get sick, you'll never die."

"I'm a vampire?"

"Only half for now. But you can become like me or David and be even stronger. You'll have a family."

"My uncle?"

"Can't hurt you anymore. I promise."

The boy threw his arms around Dwayne in a trusting embrace only a child could give. David's melancholy mood grew into a dark depression. "What's your name?" He managed to ask.

The boy looked over at him then back at Dwayne with a questioning stare. "Can I have a new one?"

"Whatever you want." Dwayne replied as he stood, the boy wrapped in his arms.

The boy turned back to David after a moment of thought. "Laddie. That's my name." A beat of silence and he turned to Dwayne. "That's David. Who are you?"

"Dwayne." The vampire replied with a soft smile.

"Are you my fathers now?" Laddie asked.

David turned his head away. The soft smile playing on Dwayne's lips and look of admiration in his eyes was too much to handle.

"We're your brothers." The brunet replied. "And soon you'll meet two more. Ask us anything, tell us everything."

Laddie nodded slowly and gave a long yawn. "Am I going to sleep on the bench tonight?" He laid his head on Dwayne's broad shoulder and let his eyes fall closed.

"A bed."

"Thank you, Dwayne." Laddie mumbled as he sunk farther into sleep.

David turned on his heel. This was too much to bear. As he walked away, Dwayne's quiet footsteps fell into step beside him.

"Are you happy now?" David asked through clenched teeth. He kept his eyes focused straight ahead, glaring at the deserted beach.

Dwayne looked at the boy whose face was calm and innocent where in consciousness it was cold and uncaring. "Yes."

David felt a surge of anger burn in his throat. The feeling that Dwayne was not happy with him left a bitter taste on his tongue.

"As happy as I was before." Dwayne finished.

The blond released an exasperated sigh as he fished another cigarette from his pocket and lit it. "I suppose that boy will make you happier now."

"David, he is to me what Marko is to you."

"He's a pet." David snapped. "There is no other use for a child unless you want to play father." He spun to face Dwayne. "Is that it? You've finally realized we've left it all behind. We can't have children with our hair and our eyes." He gestured between the two of them. "_We _could never have children."

Dwayne did not reply but instead set Laddie down on an old bench with peeling red paint before turning back to David.

"And what about the next child you fall in love with?" David continued, almost breathless with pent up frustrations. "I wish we were mortal. I would find a woman as close to me as possible and I would want her to carry your child. I want that with you; a child with your eyes and your smile." The blond raged, striking the well-muscled chest with his fists.

Dwayne let him, holding him as the cigarette fell forgotten onto a wad of soiled cotton candy. Dwayne held the blonde until he calmed and simply rested his forehead against the naked chest.

"And I would pretend." David continued in a low voice. "I would pretend that we had a chance to be normal and there would only be you and me and this child of ours."

"I wanted nothing more than to love you." Dwayne said quietly, burying a hand in the blond hair. "But I need him. _Need._ I've never needed anything besides you and blood until I saw him. There will be no other child like him. I promise you."

David pulled himself from his lover's embrace and went to stand beside the bench to closely examine the child. "What is it about him? What is he to you that Paul can't be?"

"He's the brother I needed and the one I lost." Dwayne leaned over the back of the bench to tenderly wipe blood off Laddie's chin.

The other vampire turned away. He should have known, should have remembered Dwayne's long dead brother. It was a void the other vampire had long before becoming immortal. Living forever hurts when the ones you love decay in the ground.

David gently picked up the child and held him close. "We should take him home then. It's cold tonight."

Dwayne looked at David with a soft smile. David looked away. He would have blushed at such naked emotion if he could.

"I'll explain it to Max." The blond said. "He may not understand but I won't let him hurt the boy. He's ours and I'll look after him."

The brunet pressed his lips to David's in a chaste but lingering kiss. "That's all I want."

David looked away again, trying not to show the smirk that was beginning to form. "I don't suppose Paul or Marko will mind him. They've always wanted a little brother. Besides, he seems quiet enough."

"I love you." Dwayne said in a near whisper, his eyes focused intently on David.

"I…" David stammered. He was at a loss for words. Those three words had not been said in such an order aloud for at least a decade.

"I love you." He said finally with conviction.

End


End file.
